STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The City Commission on Human Rights and the New York Center for Interpersonal Development hosted a workshop on tolerance and respect at Victory Archers, an archery range in Rosebank, for a dozen local children yesterday.

The commission's chair, Patricia L. Gatling, called the event "a way for us to introduce the Human Rights Commission to [local children] and talk about what it is we do in a fun setting."

She continued, "We've been trying to focus on young people and teaching them civic lessons about why we live in New York and what it means to be a New Yorker, and impressing upon them that we all have humanity and human dignity."

Ms. Gatling said her organization chose the archery venue "to introduce young people ... to a sport that's in their neighborhood and that's something they can do -- everyone can do it."

"Because of the 'Hunger Games' there's such a thirst for knowledge about archery," she added, referring to the wildly popular book and film series first released in 2010.

"Today's event is important because sports creates an atmosphere in which people of different ethnic backgrounds learn they have a lot in common as they work as teammates to reach a common goal," the Council member said.

The dozen children and their parents were given a demonstration in archery, shot at targets on Victory Archer's indoor range and participated in a dialogue with Ms. Gatling and Dominick Broncato, executive director of the New York Center for Interpersonal Development.

Broncato contributed to the pervasively jovial atmosphere at the event when he related a story from his time working with children at a YMCA camp. Broncato, who had very little experience with a bow and arrow, was tasked with demonstrating the proper technique to shoot at a target.

He recalled standing on the far right of the YMCA's target range, fearful of the high potential for disaster and likely embarrassment he would feel if he missed the shot completely, and said, "I closed my eyes and prayed that I would at least hit the target. All the sudden, I'm hearing kids jump up and down."

Standing on the far right of the range and aiming at the corresponding target, Broncato was as surprised to hear the kids yell 'bull's-eye' as he was to realize his shot had hit the bull's-eye -- not of the target he aimed at, but of the target on the other side of the range.

The kids couldn't tell the difference, he said to uproarious laughter from the crowd.

Larry Brown, a coach of several archery teams and past head coach of the women's archery team at Columbia University, later offered a demonstration to the enthusiastic children and teenagers.

Mr. Brown told the group of his 55 years' experience with the sport, which began when he was 5 after his father gave him a lesson in archery.

One student, Aiden Edwards, 14, of Bulls Head, said he relished the opportunity to shoot arrows despite his previous experience with the sport at camp.

He said, "I like archery; it's really fun."

The New York City Commission on Human Rights, an organization founded in 1955, was created by the City Council to ensure basic human rights for New Yorkers, according to its chair, Ms. Gatling.

"We are the oldest civil rights agency in the country. We've been around for almost 70 years," she said. "We had a law that prevented and prohibited discrimination in New York City before the federal government did, before any other state did."

The commission tends to focus on employment, housing, disability, immigrant discrimination cases, but also focuses on advocacy for children. It has offices in every borough, including one in St. George.